Device for lawn tennis training

ABSTRACT

The second rubber cord is secured to the ball by a looped cord which penetrates the ball cover at a first point and exits from the ball cover at two spaced apart points. A device for training in and practicing lawn tennis made of two vertical spaced posts between which is stretched a first rubber cord to the middle of which is fixed by means of a swivel a second rubber cord carrying at its lower end a tennis ball.

United States Patent Maestracci et al.

[ 1 Apr. 25, 1972 DEVICE FOR LAWN TENNIS TRAINING Inventors: Rene Ignace Joseph Maestracci, avenue Jean-Jaures, 05 Gap; Charles Maestracci,

71 avenue Raymond Poincare 75, Paris XVI, both of France Filed: June 30, 1970 Appl. No.: 51,037

Related US. Application Data Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 723,111, Apr. 22, 1968, abandoned.

US. Cl. ..273/29 A, 273/58 C Int. Cl. ..A63b 69/38 Field of Search ..273/26 E, 29 A, 58 B, 58.8 A,

References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS Denegre ..273/26 E 2,948,532 8/1960 Jepsen r ..273/58 C 1,708,796 4/1929 Lawrence ..273/29 A FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 21,210 2/1936 Australia ..273/29 A Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant ExaminerTheatrice Brown Att0rneyR0bert E. Burns and Emmanuel J. Lobato [5 7] ABSTRACT The second rubber cord is secured to the ball by a looped cord which penetrates the ball cover at a first point and exits from the ball cover at two spaced apart points.

A device for training in and practicing lawn tennis made of two vertical spaced posts between which is stretched a first rubber cord to the middle of which is fixed by means of a swivel a second rubber cord carrying at its lower end a tennis ball.

9 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTED APR 2 5 I972 Fig.4

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PATENTED APR 25 1972 SHEET 2 OF 3 Pic-s DEVICE FOR LAWN TENNIS TRAINING The present application is a continuation in part of our pending application Ser. No. 723.1ll filed on Apr. 22, I968 now abandoned.

Despite the increasing number of players of lawn tennis, the

number of courts available is comparatively restricted so that a number of persons desirous of entering this sport find it impossible to satisfy their requirements. The present invention relates to a device for training lawn tennis players which allows a beginner, and even an experienced player, to learn how to play the game or to train or practice by the same method, i.e., to repeat the same stroke(s) as long as may be necessary to acquire complete mastery thereof without requiring the use of a tennis court for this purpose.

The device according to the present invention can be used in a comparatively restricted space, for instance on a strip of ground about meters wide and from 8 to 12 meters in length.

The device according to the invention substantially consists of two masts or poles set in or on the ground and between the ends whereof a first elastic cord, for example of rubber, is attached, a second elastic, such as rubber, cord is attached to the middle of the other cord and carries at its other free end a tennis ball.

If the height of the masts or poles is of the order of 3.25 meters above ground, and if the aforesaid second elastic cord has a length of about 2 meters, the ball will be about 0.65 meter from the ground and thus in a position suitable for being properly hit, either forehand or backhand.

In wiew of the connection between the two cords, the ball when hit, will return automatically towards the player who can return it by means of his tennis racket.

According to a first form of embodiment of the object of this invention the second rubber cord, or vertical cord, is attached on the first-named cord by means of a swivel, to the eye of which the first cord is secured by means of a simple hitch knot: this will prevent the rubber cord from twisting on its vertical axis.

The second cord is suitably divided into two parts of which the first carries at its ends two rings, one of which is attached to the swivel hook and the other to a swivel on the second part of the cord, to the other end of which the ball is attached.

By means of this arrangement using swivels, the spin which the'ball may acquire when hit by the racket is not transmitted to the other part of the vertical cord which consequently does not experience any twisting moment.

Each of the posts or masts is suitably made of a telescoping tubular assembly a clip being removably fixed on the two ends of these composite posts serving as attachments for rings fitted on each end of the aforesaid, first cord.

The lower end of the aforesaid second cord is directly attached to a tennis ball, suitably by tying to a rubber stud on the rubber shell of the ball, passing through the felt outside cover.

Different forms of embodiment of the object of the present invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a general view of the device in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in elevation;

FIG. 3 is a detail of the method of attaching the horizontal cord to the posts, and the vertical cord to the horizontal cord;

FIG. 4 is a view showing the method of attaching the ball to the lower part of the vertical cord;

FIG. 5 is a section of FIG. 4 along the line V-V.

FIG. 6 is a general view of a second embodiment;

FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 show a different mode of attaching the ball to the lower part of the vertical cord.

Substantially, as will be seen in FIG. 1, the lawn tennis training and practicing device according to the invention consists of the two masts or posts I and 2, set up on the ground in a suitable manner and between the upper ends thereof a rubber cord 3 is stretched horizontally; at the middle of this horizontal cord 3, vertical cord 4 is attached in a manner to be presently described carrying at its bottom end a tethered tennis ball 5.

The player standing in front of this apparatus can hit the ball 5 with his racket and drive it to a position 5' by stretching of the cord 3 and the cord 4 respectively, together forming a Y- shape as shown in full lines.

The cord 4 being attached at the middle of the cord 3, the ball will return to the player whether the latter has used a forehand or backhand drive, or even a low volley.

According to a preferential form of embodiment of the invention, each mast or post is formed, as shown in FIG. 2, of (telescoping) tubular sections, 6-9 and 6'9' respectively, and each post is held by two collars, 10,11 and 10', ll respectively, passed over stakes 12 or 12' respectively, for hard ground, by an umbrella foot, or a cast iron stand.

As will be seen in FIG. 3, a clip 13 is fitted in the aperture 14 of the top section of each post, which serves as an attachment for the horizontal cord 3.

Such attachment is made by fitting or suitably knotting a ring 15 on each end of the cord 3, which is engaged with the clip 15. In order that any spin imparted to the ball by the players stroke, is not transmitted either to the vertical or to the horizontal cord, which would appear to be essential to prevent fatigue stresses being set up in the vertical cord, the invention provides for attaching the vertical cord on the horizontal cord by means of a swivel book as shown at 16 in FIG. 3.

The cord 3 is passed through the top ring 17 of the swivel hook l6, and attached by means of a simple hitch knot; the swivel ring located at the middle of the horizontal cord 3; the upper end of the vertical cord 4 is tied to the lower ring 18 of the swivel 15, at 19.

In order to further reduce the risk of transmitting a torsional force to the vertical cord 4 and similarly to eliminate frictional wear on the racket frame, this cord is divided as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, into two sections 4 and 4; the section 4 of the vertical cord is elastic and attached to the horizontal cord, as described in conjunction with FIG. 3; the cord 4' is of nylon and has at its upper end, as will be seen in FIG. 4, a further swivel hook, shown at 20, and to the ring 21 whereof the lower end of the section 4 (of the vertical cord) is knotted; the section 4' is tied to the lower ring 22, of the swivel hook 20.

If the ball 5 is hit hard, the torsion which may arise in the section 4 is not transmitted to the section 4, which itself is attached by means of a swivel, since the lower end thereof can turn with reference to its upper part, which prevents any transmission of torsional forces.

The tennis ball shown at 5 can be attached in different ways to the lower end of the section 4 of the vertical cord, which is of nylon.

A particularly advantageous method of attachment is, as shown in FIG. 4 and 5, to cut the felt covering 23 and to pass through a hole made in the stud 24 or in the thickness of the rubber layer 25 by means of an awl, a small tube 26 of plastic material into which is introduced the bottom end of a nylon cord section 4' of the vertical cord, which is then knotted as shown at 27.

FIGS. 6 to 8 illustrate a second form of embodiment of the object of the invention wherein same elements are identified by the same references than those of FIGS. 1 to 5, it being noted that the said second form of embodiment differs from the first one only by a different mode of attachment of the ball to the first section 4 of the vertical cord.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 a small ring 28 is attached to the lower end of section 4 of the vertical cord, and opposite thereof there is knotted to said ring 28 a closed loop bearing the general references 29 and made of a nylon filament and attached as follows to the tennis ball bearing the general reference 5. The tennis ball is a standard ball having a carcass with a uniform wall thickness.

The nylon filament is attached, at about its middle position, by an appropriate knot 30 as shown in FIG. 7 to the small ring made for example also of nylon or with any other appropriate plastics. Its both strands, bearing the references 31 and 32 pass together through a single hole 33 made in the felt covering 23 of the ball and shown on an enlarged scale in the circle 34 in FIG. 7. Both strands pass the through the rubber thickness 25 of the ball, and their respective ends are then passed outwardly through the felt covering at two distinct locations 36, 37 preferably equidistant from the single hole 32, and knotted together as indicated at 38. By a slight pull exerted on both strand in the direction of the arrow 39 in FIG. 7, the knot 38 is displaced on to the felt covering, or into one of the holes 36 or 37 where upon the length of the two strands 31 and 32 are adjusted to become equal by acting on the loop attachment 30.

According to an alternative a small slit may be made in the felt cover, with a length equal to the distance between both cations 36 and 37 through which the ends of the strands 31 and 32 pass after traversing the ball thickness as shown in FIG. 8, where upon a pull exerted on both strands in the direction of the arrow 39, bring the knot 38 to a position in the slot made in the felt cover 23.

The device according to the present invention affords, as will have become clear from the preceding, means for either the novice to train or the more experienced player to practice, without requiring either a tennis court or a partner.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for practicing tennis comprising, a pair of posts mountable upright in use in stationary, spaced apart positions, said posts having upper end portions disposed apart when said posts are positioned upright and spaced apart, a first elastic cord secured in use between the upper end portions of the posts, a second elastic cord having a length in an unstretched condition less than the height of said posts, means connecting one end of said second elastic cord to said first elastic cord, a tennis ball having a cover and an interior cavity, means attaching a free end of said second elastic cord to said tennis ball comprising a looped cord penetrating through the cover of said ball at a first point and exiting from the cover of said tennis ball at two spaced apart points spaced from said first point, and said looped cord extending outwardly from said first point and the full external length thereof extending from the tennis ball disposed extending from said first point.

2. Apparatus for practicing tennis according to claim 1 in which said looped cord is disposed without entering into said cavity.

3. Apparatus for practicing tennis according to claim 2 in which said means connecting the second elastic cord to said first elastic cord connects said second elastic cord to said first elastic cord at a point substantially equally spaced from the spaced apart upper end portions of said posts.

4. Apparatus for practicing tennis according to claim 1 in which said looped cord is non-elastic and substantially unstretchable.

5. Apparatus for practicing tennis according to claim 4 in which said looped cord is made of nylon.

6. Apparatus for practicing tennis comprising, a tethered tennis ball having a cover and a cavity therein, means tethering said tennis ball comprising elastic means to suspend the tennis ball therefrom in position to allow striking the ball for practicing tennis and having means elastically returning the ball to a vicinity substantially that at which the ball was struck, means supporting said elastic means, non-elastic means connecting the ball to said elastic means comprising a looped filament penetrating through the cover of said tennis ball at a first point without entering said cavity and exiting from the cover at two spaced apart points spaced from said first point, and said looped filament having a short length intermediate said two points and a greater length externally of said ball extending from said first point for connecting said tennis ball to said elastic means.

7. Apparatus for practicing tennis according to claim 6 in which said filament comprises a nylon filament.

8. Apparatus for practicing tennis according to claim 6 in which said two spaced apart points on said tennis ball cover are substantially equally distant from said first point on said cover of said tennis ball.

9. Apparatus for practicing tennis according to claim 6 in which said ball has a car cass having a uniform wall thickness. 

1. Apparatus for practicing tennis comprising, a pair of posts mountable upright in use in stationary, spaced apart positions, said posts having upper end portions disposed apart when said posts are positioned upright and spaced apart, a first elastic cord secured in use between the upper end portions of the posts, a second elastic cord having a length in an unstretched condition less than the height of said posts, means connecting one end of said second elastic cord to said first elastic cord, a tennis ball having a cover and an interior cavity, means attaching a free end of said second elastic cord to said tennis ball comprising a looped cord penetrating through the cover of said ball at a first point and exiting from the cover of said tennis ball at two spaced apart points spaced from said first point, and said looped cord extending outwardly from said first point and the full external length thereof extending from the tennis ball disposed extending from said first point.
 2. Apparatus for practicing tennis according to claim 1 in which said looped cord is disposed without entering into said cavity.
 3. Apparatus for practicing tennis according to claim 2 in which said means connecting the second elastic cord to saiD first elastic cord connects said second elastic cord to said first elastic cord at a point substantially equally spaced from the spaced apart upper end portions of said posts.
 4. Apparatus for practicing tennis according to claim 1 in which said looped cord is non-elastic and substantially unstretchable.
 5. Apparatus for practicing tennis according to claim 4 in which said looped cord is made of nylon.
 6. Apparatus for practicing tennis comprising, a tethered tennis ball having a cover and a cavity therein, means tethering said tennis ball comprising elastic means to suspend the tennis ball therefrom in position to allow striking the ball for practicing tennis and having means elastically returning the ball to a vicinity substantially that at which the ball was struck, means supporting said elastic means, non-elastic means connecting the ball to said elastic means comprising a looped filament penetrating through the cover of said tennis ball at a first point without entering said cavity and exiting from the cover at two spaced apart points spaced from said first point, and said looped filament having a short length intermediate said two points and a greater length externally of said ball extending from said first point for connecting said tennis ball to said elastic means.
 7. Apparatus for practicing tennis according to claim 6 in which said filament comprises a nylon filament.
 8. Apparatus for practicing tennis according to claim 6 in which said two spaced apart points on said tennis ball cover are substantially equally distant from said first point on said cover of said tennis ball.
 9. Apparatus for practicing tennis according to claim 6 in which said ball has a carcass having a uniform wall thickness. 